Rob Pope, a 38-year-old veterinarian, originally from Liverpool, is re-creating a real-life version of the run in the 1994 movie Forrest Gump. The movie won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 1995.

Pope, like Forrest Gump, is running across the U.S. But this time, Pope is doing it to raise funds for the World Wildlife Federation and public awareness for Peace Direct, a London-based organization that promotes peace building worldwide.

Pope is about five inches shorter than Tom Hanks, the actor who portrayed Gump. But Tuesday, Pope wore a baseball cap and sports a beard like Forrest.

Despite a British accent, he deadpanned his reason for replicating Gump's run.

"I just felt like running," said a grinning Pope. "No one has ever done Forrest Gump's route. I even have a pair of Nike Cortez (running shoes), just like his."

Pope's run began Sept. 15 in Mobile, Alabama, where Forrest began. Gump's run began from his hometown, Greenbow, Alabama. But in real life, Greenbow doesn't exist, and filmmakers started the run in Mobile.

Pope has already logged more than 3,300 miles, and like Forrest, has run to the end of the Santa Monica Pier. Pope turned around and is now headed toward the Maine lighthouse, at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, where Forrest ran to. Since leaving Santa Monica, California in January, Pope ran through Death Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix before arriving in Las Cruces.

Tuesday, Pope's goal was to run 44 miles. By Sunday he hopes to be in Roswell.

I'm hoping to get to Boston by April 17," Pope said. "Hopefully, they will give me a discretionary allowance to run in the Boston Marathon. I haven't contacted them yet, but I hope they will let me (run). If not, then I may run the course the day after (the marathon)."

On it will go, provided Pope's health and funding can last. He wants to run the approximately 15,250 miles Gump ran, and he intends to pass through the landmarks Forrest traveled. Along the way, when he's tired he'll sleep, when he's hungry he'll eat, and when he has to go, well, you know.